Anyone heard of or use Ketamine for depression?

[MarathonMike]

My In laws have a 17 year old son who suffers from severe depression. They are "treating" him with Ketamine injections. Apparently they make him feel good for a day or two then he goes right back to being depressed. Apparently these shots are $500 bucks a pop. Just curious if anyone has heard of Ketamine being a good thing.

 

[Samofvt]

Nope, no experience with it. But the doctors always prescribe chemicals before prescribing basic stuff, like a good vitamin supplement, exercise, or a good massage parlor (bahh, proly too young for the last one). I guess it's bc they (the doctors) don't make any money on those, but its they're the best place to start if a young man wants to start to feel better.

 

[Ringel05]

My In laws have a 17 year old son who suffers from severe depression. They are "treating" him with Ketamine injections. Apparently they make him feel good for a day or two then he goes right back to being depressed. Apparently these shots are $500 bucks a pop. Just curious if anyone has heard of Ketamine being a good thing.

It's a relatively new use of this anesthetic to treat acute depression and does appear to have some promise in the treatment of acute, non-responsive to normal medical treatment cases.

There hasn't been much in the way of research for this application yet but again the affects appear promising for many. Not everyone responds well to Ketamine.

Ketamine for major depression: New tool, new questions - Harvard Health

How New Ketamine Drug Helps with Depression

Ketamine: Exploring continuation-phase treatment for depression - Mayo Clinic

 

[MarathonMike]

What bothers me is his parents didn't even try counseling or getting him into some support group. They went right for the drugs.

 

[Rigby5]

There is no way to do this artificially.
Whatever you inject will either develop a dependency and make it worse, or lose effectiveness quickly.

The natural way is for your body to release endorphins as a rewards.
Lots of natural things can do this, but the best is exercise.
Any sport will do.
Running, biking, tennis, racquetball, golf, baseball, skiing, lifting weights, etc.

 

[MarathonMike]

Rigby5 I'm not sure just exercise is going to get him out his chronic depressive state. I just wish they would have tried other alternatives before doing Ketamine shots.

 

[Rigby5]

Rigby5 I'm not sure just exercise is going to get him out his chronic depressive state. I just wish they would have tried other alternatives before doing Ketamine shots.

I did not just mean exercise.
Although exercise can cause the body to release dopamine, which will counter depression.
I also meant excitement, such as down hill skiing, surfing, motocross, All Terrain Vehicles, rock climbing, tennis matches, etc.
Some element of fun or danger thrill.

 

[Captain Caveman]

My In laws have a 17 year old son who suffers from severe depression. They are "treating" him with Ketamine injections. Apparently they make him feel good for a day or two then he goes right back to being depressed. Apparently these shots are $500 bucks a pop. Just curious if anyone has heard of Ketamine being a good thing.

Anyone who is depressed is living in the past. If they're anxious, they're living in the future. To be at peace, live in the present.

 

[MarathonMike]

Rigby5 So the best thing that's happened recently is he and Mom FINALLY went in for group counseling. I didn't get details but the kid who hardly ever says more than a few words talked for an hour and a half.

 

[jaminhealth]

Do they even know if the 17 yr old has clinical or situational depression. Situational can be worked on with talk therapy, supplements etc. Clinical could be that the boy's thyroid needs to be checked. I went 10 yrs in a depression and never got help but a lot of drugs and it was thyroid that needed support. Every drug comes with side effects and he's so young.

 

[MarathonMike]

jaminhealth Thanks for sharing that. Exactly my concern that they went straight for the drugs with him. As I just posted a couple days ago, he and his Mom went in for a counseling session and it went well. The kid was pressured from a very early age to be a sports star, When he got to be a young teen it was apparent he was not even going to make a high school team. The Dad was devastated and I'm sure he felt like a loser. That has to be a big part of it.

 

[DudleySmith]

Why recommend off the shelf remedies when a doctor can get sales kickbacks for something that cost $500 instead of $5?

My wife developed a red rash on one side her face one time. She came back with two prescriptions, one for $60 an another for $35. I went to the pharmacy and picked up a bottle of witchhazel for $1.85; worked fine, gone in a couple of days.

 

[SweetSue92]

jaminhealth Thanks for sharing that. Exactly my concern that they went straight for the drugs with him. As I just posted a couple days ago, he and his Mom went in for a counseling session and it went well. The kid was pressured from a very early age to be a sports star, When he got to be a young teen it was apparent he was not even going to make a high school team. The Dad was devastated and I'm sure he felt like a loser. That has to be a big part of it.

So sad. Your kids are not your own personal wish fulfillment. They are their own people. You are just raising them. So many parents basically "use" their kids to fulfill their own dreams. So wrong.

 

[Rigby5]

If the parents expand the horizons of kids, like take them on trips to see place, cultures, museums, manufacturing systems, construction sites, etc., they will be more likely to find something of interest they might get to like and study about on their own.
It is bad for parents to pick for the kid.

 

[MarathonMike]

Rigby5 Sometimes it works out like with Tiger Woods and his Dad but often it ends up badly for the kid.